Picture-projecting apparatus



Dec. 6, 1927.

- P. A. NOTHSTINE PICTURE PROJECTING APPARATUS -3 Sheets-Sheet 1 led Feb. 1, 1922 Dec. 6, 1927.

P. A. NOTHSTINE PICTURE PROJECTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1, 1922 3 Sheets-Shea: 2

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A. NOTHSTINE PICTUI KE PROJECTING APPARATUS Filed Feb.l, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PICTURE-PROJECTING AIPABATUS.

Application filed February 1, 1922. Serial Io. 538,$ 18,.

My invention relates to optics and more i particularly to a projecting apparatus for displaying upon a screen enlarged pictorial illustrations and reading matter.

The invention contemplates a projecting apparatus of the magic lantern type, as distinguished from cinematographic pro ection, wherein two continuous panoramic views are simultaneously projected either in overlapping registry or 1n close relation one with the other, and simultaneously travel in different angularly disposed paths of travel but are synchronized one with the other to insure simultaneous projection of related matter. The apparatus is particularly adapted for window display and advertising purposes, but may be utilized for various other display purposes.

The ob ect of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as the means and mode of operation, of automatic repetitious projecting apparatus, whereby it will not only be cheapened in construction but will be more efllcient in use, positive in operation,

uniform in action and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a projecting apparatus emplo ing a continuously traveling transparency aving thereon an endless succession of matter to be projected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of mounting for such traveling transparency.

A further object of the invention is to provide'a transparency having thereon two interrelated series of pictorial representa tions or characters, to be simultaneously projected upon the display screen.

provide a projecting apparatus adapted to reproduce from a single traveling transparency two interrelated successions of images, passing on and oil the screen in different directions or through non-coincident paths of travel, with means for relatively adj ust-ing the registry of the projected images in relation one with the other.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for actuating and omtrolling such projecting apparatus.

W'ith the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction the parts and combinations thereof and the A further object of the invention is to mode of operation or their e uivalents as hereinafter described and set orth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred, but not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of the projecting apparatus forming the subject matter hereof. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, showing the lamp housing by dotted lines swung to position to facilitate the exchange of transparencies. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the assembled apparatus. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a transparency showing thereon the relative arrangement of the independent series of images, characters, figures, or reading matter as the case may be, which are to be simultaneously projected in predetermined relation. Fig. 5 is a perspective view somewhat diagrammatic, illustrating the simultaneous double projection of panoramic views which travel across the screen in different directions, in this instance, one succession of images traveling toward the right, and the other traveling vertically. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modification of the lens mounting to enable universal adjustment and facilitate registry of the projected images from the separate series in predetermined relation one with the other.

is a detail view of the transparency ing device.

secur- Fig. 8 is a detail view of a modification of the actuating mechanism. Fig. 9 illustrates a modification in which are employed two endless ribbon transparencies.

Like parts are indicated by similar char actors of reference throughout the several views.

In constructing the apparatus, in the par ticular form of ebodiment illustrated in the drawings, there is employed a base portion 1, from which projects in a. vertical plane, a circular mounting 2 for the traveling transparency and the projection lenses. This circular mounting 2 is stationarily secured upon the base 1, and is recessed upon its rearward face to afford an enclosure for the rotary transparency disc 3. Projecting from the front of the mounting 2 are lens tubes 4 and 5, located at difierent radial points in relation with the center of rotation of the transparency disc 3. These lens tubes 4 and 5 have been shown positioned at right angles or in radial positions of ninet degrees in relation one with the other. the

Fig. 7 l

drawings, particularly Figs. 1 and 3, these lens tu es are shown provided with a sector-like base portion pivoted at 7 and 7 respectively to the face of the transparency mounting 2. By swinging the lens tubes 4 and 5 to and fro through a slight range of oscillatory adjustment, about the pivotal connections 7 and 7, the lenses may be adjusted to bring the projected images into intimate relation upon the screen, so that the projected scenes or reading matter as the case maybe will travel in certain predeter mined relation upon the screen. In Fig. 6 there is shown a. modification of this lens adjusting means, wherein the lens tube 5 is mounted upon a sliding base portion 8, which in turn is carried by a sliding sub-base 9, but movable at right angles to the movement of the base 8. As shown in the drawings, the respective bases 8 and 9 are provided with gibs or guide-ways 8 and 9' at right angles to each other permitting the adjustment of the lens tube. in different directions, and to any desired point within a limited area.

The transparency 3 as shown in Fig. 4 comprises a circular disc which may be a photographic plate, such as a photographic negative or a positive made as are photographic slides for stereopticon and magic lantern projection. In this instance, however, the images or succession of views to be projected are arranged in a continuous concentric series, and adjacent thereto is a second concentric series to be also projected simultaneous with the images or views of the first series. These continuous concentrical- 1y arranged panoramic views, whether pictorial or reading matter, are simultaneously projected upon the screen. One of these continuous panoramic series of views is projected through the lens tube 1, to wit: The innermost series in the arrangement shown in the drawings, while the second or outermost series, here shown as a succession of words, titles or descriptive matter, is projected through the second lens tube 5.

While these images have in the whole a circular path of travel, it will be understood that the inner succession of images or panoramic views passes the lens tube 1 through which it is projected in a substantially horizontal direction. The curvature of the path of travel in passing behind the lens is so slight as to be hardly noticeable. At the same time the second or outer series of transparencies, in this case the reading matter arranged around the marginal'portion of the transparency disc passes the second lens tube 5 in a substantially vertical direction, thus the projected images u on the semen will travel thereacross at rig it angles one to the other. This will be at once evident by reference to the diagrammatic view Fig. 5 wherein the pictorial representation corresponding to the innermost circular anoramic view u on the transparency an projected throng the lens tube 4 at the top of the mounting 2 travels horizontally across the screen 10. At the same time the reading matter comprising the descriptive data or title forming the outermost or marginal concentric succession of transparencies or images, and projected through the second lens tube 5 at the side of the mounting 2, appears upon the screen in a vertically traveling succession. The direction of travel has been indicated by arrows or darts upon the screen 10 in Fig. 5.

In order to prepare the transparency disc for mounting within the apparatus, the disc is provided at its center with radiating slots 12, communicating with andaforming extensions of a central opening or hole 13. The most convenient and economical way of perforating these transparency discs when made of glass is to cut or grind therein two intersecting slots by means of an emery wheel or other abrasive rotary cutters and then by the same means cut off the corners or points at the juncture of such intersecting slots to form the central hole 13 from which the intersecting slots extend forming the radiating openings 12.

Located centrally in the mounting 2, is a revoluble head 14, carried upon a shaft 15, mounted at its outer end in a. suitable bear ing in an upright or strut 16 projecting from the base 1. The rotary head 14 is provided with a hub or extension 17 having suitable hearings in a strut or bracket formation 18, projectin from the front face of the mount ing 2, and carried also by the base 1. This last mentioned strut or bracket 18 also serves to support the mounting 2 in the event that the latter is formed separate from the base 1 and detachably secured thereto. The rotary head 14 is provided with spaced studs or pins 19, projecting from its rearward or inner face. These pins or studs are arranged in diiferent radial positions at inter vals of ninety degrees in relation with the center of rotation of the head. The disc is inserted within the interior of the mounting 2 with its radiating slots 12 engaging over the studs or pins 19 of the head l hfifIt is much easier and more economical to provide the radiating slots 12 in the glass disc or other transparency than to provide accurately spaced holes through which the pins or studs 19 may engage. However. it is ob vious that in lieu of the radiating slots, such uniformly spaced holes which will register with the pins or studs 19 may be employed. A small bearing disc 20 is then applied to the inner face of the transpare'i'icv disc as shown in Fig. 1. This bearing disc 20 has therein uniformly spaced holes 21, which register with and in which the studs 19 projecting through the slot 12 and beyond the 3 rent is intermittently supplied in a succes face of the transparency engage. Theparts are lightly but yieldingly held in assembled relation, by means of a small bow spring 23, carried by a stud screw 22, which passesthrough a central opening. in the bearing disc 20 and thence through the opening 131! the p trans arency disc and engages in the head 14. y adjusting the screw 22 the bow s ring 23 may be tensioned to firmly secure t e bearing disc 20 and transparency disc 3, upon the rotary head 14, so, that the transparency disc 3 is positively carried with the head. The rotary head 14 and transparency disc 3 mounted thereon are rotated at a uniform but very low rate of speed, by a suitable gear train actuated by a motor 24. This motor may be of any fractional horse power type. In the present instance the armature shaft of the electric motor 24 has been shown carrying a small friction drive wheel 25, operatlvely engaging the face of a larger friction wheel 1 26. The driven wheel 26 is mounted upon a shaft 27 supported in suit-' able bearing arms 28, extending upwardly and outwardly from the base 1. This shaft 27 carries near its forward end a worm 29 meshing with a worm wheel 30 upon atransverse shaft 31. The latter shaft is best seen in Fig. 3 where it is shown mounted in struts or uprights 34. The shaft 33 carries at a point substantially co-incident with the center of the mounting disc 2, a second worm gear 35, which in turn meshes with a worm wheel 36 upon the shaft 15, with which the rotary head 14 is directly connected. By this means the rotary transparency disc is positively actuated but at a low rate of speed due to the successive reduction of speed, first through the friction drive wheels 25 'and'26, and a further reduction through the intermeshing worm gear members 29 and 30, and final reduction through the worm drive members 35 and 36. This mode of direct gear drive is shown for illustrative purposes only. It is to be understood that any form of motive power for the rotary disc may be employed in lieu thereof. As an alternative driving construction, the main shaft 15 may be operatively connectedwith a spring motor 47 provided with automatic winding mechanism as is commonly employed. However. this winding mechanism may be in the form of an intermittently operated electromagnet48 the armature of which carries an operating pawl 49, spring pressed into engagement with a ratchet wheel or click wheel 50 comprising the winding element of the spring motor. Such electro magnet may in turn be controlled by an ordinary type of flasher or thermostatic switch by which ou 7 sion of impulses. Such a construction has been diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8.

Hinged to the base 1 in.the rear of the d1sc like mounting 2 is a lamp housing 37,

pivoted at 38 and'capable of a lateral swinging movement as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.2. This lamp housing accommodates two illuminators 39 and 40 with associated lenses 41 and 42. The illuminators and condensing lenses are so positioned in the lamp housing that when the latter is in its normal position they project the light through the transparency disc and thence through the respective lens tubes 4 and 5. As the disc rotates the matter contained upon the concentric panoramic transparencies is projected upon the screen. In the present instance the associated matter, thatis to say the titles in the outer concentric series and theimages or pictorial representations in the inner series are not found upon the disc in the same radial relation, but are separated a distance e uivalent to 90 degrees to correspond wit the right angle disposition of the lenses 4 and 5. It will be obvious that the lens tubes may be diiferently disposed or positioned in other radial relation. If the osition of the uppermost lens tube 4 should be changed to a position diametrically opposite the lens tube 5, then it will be obvious that one series of reproductions or pro'ections upon the screen will travel upwar l and the other will travel downwardly, llkewise by shifting. the

lens tube 5 to a position diametrically opposite the lens tube 4, both series of projections may be made to travel horizontally across the screen in opposite directions. By positionin ate re ations, various novel effects may be achieved. Furthermore, b the adjustment of one lens or the other, tiie rojections on the screen may be superposed: one directly over the other, or they may be offset in any predetermined relation. When superposed upon each other, one of these transparency projections ma comprise a suitable back round, while t e other may be made to show figures traveling across such back-ground in one direction or the other. By this means variousnovel effects are afforded. .By a further adjustment of the lens tube to throw the projections into orout of registry the titles may be made to appear at one side of the pictorial rejection, or'they may be made to ap- 1 pear a ove or below or u onthe sky portion or other selected area. 'T e projecting apparatus affords a continuous performance successively repeated, so' long as the apparatus is allowed to run.

In Fig. 9 there is shown a further modification, wherein in lieu of therotary disc containing two separate series of images to be projected, there are disclosed twoindependent endless bands orribbons '51 and 52, one of which may contain pictorial transparencies and the other a succession ofreacling matter to be projected. One of these ribbon transparencies passes. in operative relation with the projection lens 4, while the other the lens tube in different intermedipasses in like relation with the lens 5. The ribbon transparencies of films are uniformly advanced by the rotation of the feed sprockets 53 "and 54, the shafts 55 and 56 of which are operatively interconnected for unison movement by the miter gears 57.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that while the separate series of transparencies to be simultaneously projected are preferably made upon a single rotary transparency disc or element. these series may be independentof each other, but simultaneously projected as shown in Fig. 9. Itis equally obvious that two discs might be used in like manner or that. one disc and one film could be used in conjunction, such modifications being so obvious and well within the skill of the ordinary mechanic in view of the foregoing description, that further illustration is deemed unnecessary.

While the lens for the projection of reading matter may be positioned at the top or the bottom of the disc, and the lines of reading matter appropriately arranged concentrically upon the transparency in lieu of radially as shown, thereby causing the reproduction to appear upon the screen horizontally, and travel in a horizontal direction thereupon, the preferred method is the one illustrated wherein the reading matter will travel upwardly upon the screen. By causing the reading matter to travel in an upwardly direction, the observer will be subjected to less eye strain, and the reading will be effected more naturally and with much greater case. It is obvious, however, that by transferring the projection lens for the reading matter to the opposite side of the screen, such reading matter may be made to travel downwardly.

From the above description, it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advanta e before enumerated as desirable, but whic obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangeinent of parts without departing from the.

principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a projecting apparatus of the charnating means and a plurality of projection lenses of a plurality of separate series of images to be simultaneously projected upon the same screen, and means for advancing the separate series of images in substantially vertical and horizontal directions past their respective projection lenses whereby the reproductions upon the screen will travel in substantially right angle directions.

3. In a projection apparatus of the character described, the combination with illuminating means and projection lenses, of a series of pictorial transparencies and a series of transparencies of reading matter to be simultaneously projected onto an observation screen, and actuating means for moving the respective series of transparencies past the corresponding lenses in different directions to cause the pictorial and reading matter reproductions to simultaneously travel in different directions across the screen.

4. The combination with a projection lantern, of a plurality of series of transparencies to be projected, each series arranged in an endless succession, means for projecting through separate lenses simultaneously a transparency of each series of transparencies into related positions upon a common screen, and means to advance the several series of transparencies in such relation with the rojectin means that the reproductions wi be cause to travel in difierent directions upon the' screen.

5. The herein described method of displaying advertising or educational matter or the like, by simultaneously projecting through separate lenses upon the same screen different series of transparencies upon a single carrier in predetermined relation one to the other and. causing such reproductions to move upon the screen in different directions of travel.

6. The herein described method of displaying advertising, educational matter or the like, consisting in preparing upon a sin gle transparency a p urality of series of images of re titious succession and separately projecting said plurality of series of images, each in continuous succession traveling in a difi'erent direction upon a display screen, and synchronizing the projections from the respective series whereby correlated reproductions from difierent series will appear simultaneously upon the screen.

7. As an article of manufacture, a revoluble transparency disc having thereon a plurality of interrelated panoramic successions of images for simultaneous projection, the correlated images for simultaneous production being separated one from the other by an arc of approximately ninety degrees.

8. In a projecting apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pro: jection lantern of a rotary transparency, and a plurality of projection lenses located in different radial positions in relation with the for moving the different series of images past their respective lenses through paths of travel of different direction whereby the resulting reproductions will likewise travel in different directions upon the screen.

10. As an article of manufacture, a transparency disc for a projecting apparatus, having a central opening therein and a plurality of slots radiating from said opening.

11. The herein described method of preparing transparencies consisting in grinding therein two an ularly arranged slots intersecting substantially at the center of the disc and subsequently grinding oil the points of the angles produced by the intersect-ing slots to afford in said transparency a central opening.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a lamp housing, a mounting, projection lenses disposed upon said mounting in difierent radial positions, a revoluble transparency within the mounting different portions of which simultaneously pass the respective projection lenses while traveling in different directions, and means for simultaneously projecting the images contained upon said different parts of the transparency.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a proJecting apparatus including a plurality of projection lenses, a. swinging mounting for one ofsaid lenses by which the lens may be shifted in relation with another lens in a plane at right angles to its axis, a revoluble transparency having thereon separate concentric series of images to be simultaneously projected through the respective lenses, said lenses being positioned-in' different radial positions in relation with the center of rotation of the transparency.

14. In an apparatus of the. character described, the combination with a projecting apparatus ofa series of pictorial transparencies and a second series of reading matter transparencies, a separate projecting lens for each series, means for simultaneously projecting correlated parts of both transparencies, the relative travel of the difierent series of images past their respective lenses being such that the reproductions will pass in different directions across the screen.

15. In a projecting apparatus, a housing including a circular transparency chamber disposed in a vertical plane, and a lamp chamber projecting rearwardly from the transparency chamber in eccentric relation, a condenser lens interposed in the wall between the transparency and lamp chambers, a projecting lens eccentrically. located in the front wall of the transparency chamber and in alinement with the condenser lens, a revolubletransparency carrier within the transparency chamber rotating in a vertical plane to successively present intermediate the condenser and projecting lenses each of a series of transparencies carried thereby, an actuating motor, a revoluble cam continuously driven thereby, an oscillatory spring actuated pawl arm, a series of ratchet teeth upon the carrier successively engaged by the pawl arm, said pawl arm being retracted by the rotation of the cam against its actuatm spring to elfect' its engagement with succee ing teeth of the series, and subsequently released by the advance of the cam to efl'ect the advance of the carrier by the re-. action of the pawl arm under influence of its s ring, and a shutter arm also retracted by t lie rotation of said cam, said shutter arm being operated in advance of the actuating arm to cover the transparency during the advancing movement of the pawl arm and to uncover the transparency during the return movement-of the pawl arm.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of January, A. D.

1922. PAUL A. N OTHSTINE. 

